BAKU, Azerbaijan, June 18. The first Balloon Festival was held in Azerbaijan’s Shamakhi district on June 17-18, Trend reports.
As part of the festival, concert and entertainment programs were organized for the guests, as well as master classes on various topics. A presentation of the project was held for the participants, information about balloons and flight was given.
A demonstration flight took place on June 17, while the main flights of the festival with the participation of guests took place in the morning of June 18. This morning, the Shamakhi sky was strewn with balloons of various designs.
Head of the executive authority of the Shamakhi district Tahir Mammadov said at the official opening ceremony of the festival that Shamakhi has already become a city of open-air festivals.
He added that Shamakhi hosted the Grape and Wine Festival for the first time. It is gratifying that now, for the first time in Azerbaijan, the Balloon Festival is being held in Shamakhi. This can be considered an indicator of the development of the tourism sector.
Tahir Mammadov said that Shamakhi is currently distinguished by the development of the tourism sector.
Then representative of the EZONE company Salman Rasulov noted that balloon flights are of great interest all over the world. The main purpose of the Balloon Festival is to contribute to the development of tourism.
Salman Rasulov added that security measures related to the festival are one of the highest priority issues. Work is underway to carry out commercial flights in the future. According to the Organizing Committee, the continuation of flights in the future and the performance of commercial flights in the coming years will depend on the interest in the project.
He also noted that the flights are carried out by professional foreign pilots.
Turkish specialist Halis Aydogan said during his speech that he was proud to participate in the festival. He expressed confidence that Shamakhi will become a suitable place for balloon flights in the future.
He added that the first steps have been taken in Shamakhi in terms of tourism development thanks to the Balloon Festival.
Answering journalists' questions at the festival, German Ambassador to Azerbaijan Ralf Horlemann congratulated Azerbaijan on holding the Balloon Festival.
"This event is a great opportunity to show the world all the beauty of Azerbaijan. Today the weather is very good in Shamakhi and everyone who comes is having a lot of fun. I congratulate you once again and wish success to this festival," Horlemann said.
Israeli Ambassador to Azerbaijan George Dick, who shared his impressions of the festival with journalists, said that today is a very pleasant day, because such a grandiose event is being held in Azerbaijan - the Balloon Festival.
The ambassador said that he saw parents, children and young people here, people of different ages and nationalities were at the festival. He expressed gratitude to the Heydar Aliyev Foundation and other institutions for supporting the event.
The project was implemented with the support of the State Tourism Agency of Azerbaijan, the Executive Authority of Shamakhi district, the State Civil Aviation Agency, the Azeraeronavigation Air Traffic Control and the Heydar Aliyev Foundation.
Preparation for the balloon project in Azerbaijan lasted 2 years. Balloons at the festival were made in the UK and Türkiye, and attracted attention with an interesting design.
A concert program with the participation of famous performers was also organized as part of the festival. Folk artists Faiq Agayev, Miri Yusif, Honored Artist Lala Mammadova, Dilara Kazimova, Eldar and Nigar and others performed hits in front of the audience.
As part of the entertainment program of the festival, master classes on various topics were also held for both children and adults. The participants had the opportunity to take part in workshops on making clay figures, painting, puppet theater, board games, weaving and other areas. Thus, the guests not only watched the flight of balloons, but also had a fun and interesting weekend.
Children of Azerbaijani martyrs [of the second Karabakh war] who fell for the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan were also invited to the holiday from Shamakhi and neighboring districts. They participated in the entertainment organized on the territory of the festival and watched the flight of balloons, which always aroused the interest of both children and adults. Gifts were presented to each of the children of the martyrs.
